Relationships between quality of experience and participation in diverse performance settingshttp://espace.library.uq.edu.au/workflow/edit_metadata.php?id=382160&wfs_id=778

The flow concept describes a model of enjoyment that has relevance for understanding participation and experience across a wide range of activities (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). The basic premise of the flow concept is that when challenges and skills are simultaneously balanced and extending the individual, a state of total absorption can occur. Research by Jackson and colleagues has examined the utility of the flow concept to understanding participation and performance in sport settings. Recently, Jackson and Eklund have examined flow in a range of performance settings: sport, exercise, dance, creative and performing arts, and music. In this paper, we present descriptive and construct validity data on how participants in these activities experienced flow, as assessed by the recently revised flow scales: The Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) and Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2) (Jackson & Eklund, 2002). The fmdings will be discussed in relation to the utility of the flow concept to understanding participation across performance settings.

The use of strategic visioning to enhance local tourism planning in periphery communities

Tourism has had a profound impact upon destinations worldwide, and although this impact has been positive for many destinations, there are numerous examples where tourism has adversely impacted upon the environment and social fabric of the destination community (Coccossis 1996; Murphy 1985). The negative impacts of tourism have been attributed, among other things, to inadequate or non-existent planning for development (Gunn 1994; Hall2000). This has led to increased calls for tourism planning to offset some of the negative impacts that tourism can have on the destination community. While a number of approaches have been advocated, a collaborative philosophy, based on the principles of sustainability, is more likely to result in acceptable and successful policies and programmes for tourism destinations (Farrell1986; Jamal & Getz 1995; Maitland 2002; Minca & Getz 1995). Such an approach focuses on cooperation and broader based participation in tourism planning and decision-making between stakeholders to lead to agreement on planning directions and goals, with one of the primary objectives of collaborative arrangements being to develop a strategic vision for a destination (Bramwell & Lane 2000). [Extract from introduction]